New UMass President Brings Years Of Public University Experience

BOSTON — The University of Massachusetts has a new leader. The board of trustees has selected Robert Caret, the current president of Towson University, to replace departing UMass president Jack Wilson.

Caret is a career academic and brings to U-Mass the experience of leading two public universities. Caret has been president of Towson University since 2003. Under his leadership, the school has been recognized for diversifying the student body and eliminating graduation gaps between whites and minorities.

Before that, Caret was president of San Jose State University in California. While there, he helped to lead the creation of the first joint city and university library of its kind.

Caret is a native New Englander -- originally from Maine -- with chemistry degrees from the University of New Hampshire and Suffolk University in Boston. The UMass board of trustees selected Caret over two other finalists: Phillip Clay, chancellor of MIT and Charles Bantz, chancellor of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.